Lost And Found
by calma-llama
Summary: After getting injured during a Xana attack, Yumi struggles to remember the past.
1. Chapter 1

"Yumi. Yumi, wake up, _please_."

Yumi could hear someone calling her, but she didn't know who or why. Her head was spinning and all she wanted to do was sleep. And so, she did just that.

"Yumi please, come back to us…Come back to me."

The voice was young and pleading, somewhat familiar to her. But she could not place it. Whoever it was, she wanted him to be quiet. Her head was already killing her and his begging wasn't helping. The pain was simply overwhelming.

"Please, Yumi, I'm begging you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She frowned, even more confused than before. Light filtered through into her eyes and forced her to squint. She heard a gasp from somewhere up above, startling her.

"She moved! Odd, did you see that?"

Odd? Well, that's quite a strange name. But, why didn't she recognize it? And why was it such a big deal that she was moving? Last time she checked, moving was a normal thing. She was so bewildered. And extremely disoriented. And the ache seemed relentless.

She ignored the voices screaming her name and fell into a deep sleep.

The next time her eyes fluttered open, it wasn't so bright and her head didn't hurt as much. She was still exhausted, but she felt some energy creeping into her veins. The room was dark this time around. It was small and she rested on a bed in the dead center of it. There was a boy, who could pass as a girl considering the excessive amount of purple he was wearing, sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. Beside her was a small table with bottles and needles on it. What caught her eye was the pretty bouquet of white flowers that sat in the middle of the mess. As she woke more of her senses, she recognized the scent of bleach and steel.

She was in a hospital. But…Why?

Quickly, she tried to recall what had happened, but as she attempted to grasp onto whatever memories she had left, they slipped through her fingers like sand. She knew her name was Yumi Ishiyama and that she was a student at Kadic Academy. She knew she came to France from Japan with her family. She knew…

Was that all? It felt like she was forgetting something, something incredibly important. Try as she might, she couldn't put her finger on it and all that thinking was only intensifying her massive headache.

She looked around the room franticly, hoping to find some clues of her life, or what's missing of it. The boy slumped in the corner was fast asleep, snoring comically loud. He was still unfamiliar, but he must be here for a reason. He looked roughly her age, maybe one or two years younger, with blonde and purple hair and his hoodie pulled tight around him. Could he tell her what had happened?

"Hey." She rasped, her voice cracking and stinging her throat. She swallowed a few times, trying to sooth the dryness and tried again. "Hey!" When yelling at him didn't work, she reached for one of the plastic bottles on the table and threw it in his direction.

The bottle met the boy's skull and he jumped up, darting his eyes around the room. When his eyes landed on her, he heaved a sigh of relief and smiled sarcastically at her. "You would wake up after I sent Ulrich away, wouldn't you? But, oh, it's good to see your eyes open and actually conscious."

"Ulrich?" She questioned, the name feeling familiar on her tongue, but it did not spark a memory.

"Yeah, you know, your boyfriend? Well, not really, you two should be dating with all the sexual tension between you." Yumi felt her cheeks warm, but she pushed the feeling down. "He's been worried sick over you! He's been in here every night since, and we had to force him to go back to school and get a decent night's sleep in something other than these stupid chairs."

"I don't…Remember anything. What happened to me? And, who are you and why are you in my room?"

He looked startled by her question, but recovered quickly with a charming smile. "I'm Odd Della Robbia. The doctors said you might have some problems with your memory. So, you really don't remember me?"

"Nope, sorry."

"It's okay. I'm sure it'll come back to you sooner or later. I'm one of your best friends, we're great teammates too! You helped save my tail from Xana once. Well, more than once really, but I stopped keeping track for the sake of my pride."

"Who the hell is Xana and how can I save your tail if you don't have one?" She questioned, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Are you sure you should be in my room and not at a mental asylum?"

Odd shrugged. "I ask myself that sometimes too. Anyway, you will remember one day, hopefully you've only lost your memory up to a certain point where you hadn't met us, I mean me, yet."

Her head began to pound again. "Can you tell me why I'm here? And how long it's been?"

Odd's face grew serious for the first time. "You've been out for a week."

"A week?!" Yumi tried to sit up, but Odd sprang up from his chair to ease her back down.

"Shh, I don't think it's a good idea to get all aggravated over this. You still need a lot of rest." Odd warned, keeping an eye out for any doctors or nurses that may have heard Yumi's outburst.

"A week." She repeated in disbelief. "You need to tell me what happened."

"I don't know. I don't want to upset you."

"I'm going to be upset if you don't tell me. And I can assure you that you won't leave this room until I hear the whole thing, Della Robbia." She threatened.

Odd was worried about how aggressive she was getting, but he was pleased to see the Yumi he knew and reluctantly began to tell her.

"You and Sissi, you know the principal's daughter, were trapped by Xana at a nearby construction site. Do you remember her at all? Because if you don't, you may just be the luckiest person alive."

"I met her my first day at Kadic. She didn't like me then and quite frankly, I didn't care for her much either."

"Things haven't changed then. But, you two did have something in common." Odd stood up, making dramatic sweeping motions with his arms. "You both wanted the love of the great Ulrich Stern!"

Yumi raised an eyebrow, obviously unimpressed.

"Tough crowd today…" Odd took his seat again. "Anyway, you two don't get along at all, but when Xana somehow managed to materialize hornets in school, you were forced to work together to survive. I purposely devirtualized Ulrich so he could assist you in the real world. Aelita and I stayed on Lyoko to deactivate the tower. You and Sissi were chased into a construction site where you hid from the bugs. Ulrich arrived, but he was a bit too late. One of the hornets shot part of a beam down. There was no way of dodging it and you took a pretty big hit to the head."

Odd took a steadying breath. "You were knocked out cold. Ulrich carried you out and Sissi escaped safely with only minor injuries. But you haven't woken up since then. Yumi, we were _so_ worried."

Yumi tried to conjure any memory of what seemed to be a big event, but only succeeded in making her head spin again. "I'm sorry I worried you." She murmured genuinely. "I just don't remember any of it. But, everyone's okay, right?"

"It'll come to you." Odd assured her again. "And yes. Well, Ulrich suffered a few burns and is probably sick with something, not to mention exhausted, but he'll be fine once he sees you're awake and talking again." He winked suggestively.

He kept saying that name like it should be important to her. It frustrated her to realize that it held no meaning at all.

"When will he be here? And the others?"

"He'll be here first thing in the morning before school, I'm sure, though I could go and get him if you like. He's back on campus. It's the middle of the night, but I'm sure he'd love to see you."

"No." Yumi was quick to say, even though she was a little disappointed. She'd hoped she could see him now. Maybe it would jog her memory. "He should rest too. Besides, it must be a real pain to sneak off of campus at this hour."

"You got that right. I was almost caught by Jim on my way here, it's no walk in the park. The others will come by in the afternoon to check on you. Those drawings are from your brother." He nods at the wall to her left, where she hadn't noticed the several papers taped to the wall. There were crayon drawings of what she assumed to be portraits of people passing through her room. Hiroki always had a knack for drawing.

"That's sweet of him." She said softly, feeling the exhaustion beginning to weigh her down.

Odd took the hint. "Go back to sleep. Someone will be here when you wake up again." He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Goodnight."

Though she fought desperately against it, sleep won the battle that night.

"What do you mean she woke up?! Why didn't you come and get me?!"

Yumi's eyelids fluttered, the exclamation dragging her out of her fitful sleep.

"Sorry, buddy. It was late and even she insisted you get some sleep. Plus, how would I get back onto campus without getting caught? Jim almost got me the first time, no way I could get by the second time around."

"You could've figured something out!"

"She wasn't awake for very long anyway. Just long enough for me to explain to her what happened. But, Ulrich, she doesn't remember us."

Yumi heard a sharp gasp. "What?"

"She remembers who she is and where she is, but her memory stops sometime after she came to Kadic and before she became a Lyoko Warrior."

She heard footsteps as someone started pacing. She assumed it to be that guy Odd was talking about, Ulrich, with how agitated he sounded. She struggled to muster the strength to opens her eyes so she could catch a glimpse of him. There was something about his voice that she knew, and the encouraged her. If she could just see him, maybe her memory would return…

He sighs again, and she can see him run a hand through his brown hair. "Sorry, Odd. I know you're just as worried as I am. I'm sorry I yelled at you.

She blinks and waits for him to turn around, her voice still weak from sleep. Besides, even if she could talk, she didn't know what to say. A simple "hey" didn't seem appropriate and there was something…Different about him, something that made her unable to speak.

After what seems like an eternity of waiting, he finally turns to her.

She takes in his dark eyes, angled face and expressionless lips.

But she doesn't remember him.

He approaches her, his mouth open as if to speak, but nothing comes out. His hand hovers over hers, unlike Odd, as if he was afraid that if he touches her, she'd break.

Then he breathes her name and wraps his fingers around hers.

And then Yumi _remembers_.

Flashes of shouting, his dark eyes lit with anger and jealousy, her heart pumping pure adrenaline and looking for a fight, the two of them pummeling each other with sharp words, more screaming…More pain.

She pulls her hand back, flinching away from his touch. Her eyes widened at the sudden vision.

"Yumi?" Ulrich asks, his voice full of concern. "What's wrong?"

"I remember you." She whispers. But just as his face relaxes with relief, she hisses the words that crushes all the hope he had held with him.

"Get the hell away from me."


	2. Chapter 2

"What?" Ulrich asked, bewildered and completely shocked. He looked to his blonde friend for an explanation, but Odd was just as lost.

"I said _get the hell away from me._" She snarled and begins to climb out of her bed, prepared to fight.

"Yumi, wait, calm down!" Odd exclaimed, dragging a stunned Ulrich away. "He's leaving, okay?"

She glared at Ulrich's utterly heartbroken form as Odd practically shoves him out the door. He mouths a sincere _I'm sorry _before shutting the door behind him. She doesn't really know who he is, only that he makes her blood boil, she sees flashes of the two of them screaming and a moment that somehow breaks her heart even though she doesn't know how or why.

Odd pressed his back up against the door, watching her as if she were some rabid animal ready to attack. Once Ulrich was gone, she calmed down a little, though her breathing was still labored and irregular.

"Do you mind telling me what that was all about?" Odd asked gently, not wanting to be torn to shreds by his friend.

"I don't know." She shook her head and pressed her fingers to her temples. "I can't explain it, I just got a rush of visions. Visions of him shouting and hurting me. I don't understand..." She repeated, fighting to figure out what was happening. "I felt these emotions of pain and jealously...If I let him get to close to me, I'll be setting myself up for suffering. Is all of that...You know, wrong to feel?"

"Yumi." Odd took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I can't believe I'm saying this. But, Ulrich loves you very much. And, somewhere deep down, you love him too. You've been friends for a long time now. Granted, your relationship hasn't been the smoothest, but I know he would die for you without a shadow of a doubt. Believe what you want, but I can assure you that Ulrich loves you with all his heart and he's mad about you...Okay?"

"I-I...I just don't get it." Yumi felt tears of frustration build up at the rim of her eyes, threatening to spill at any moment. She wiped them away angrily. The pieces of this puzzle just refused to fit together.

"I don't really either. Maybe your injury warped some of your memory?" Odd suggested hopefully. "I'll ask the next doctor I see."

Yumi didn't feel too reassured. She couldn't get Ulrich off of her mind.

* * *

The doctor confirmed Odd's assumptions, but the reunion with Yumi's family went much peacefully. She remembered them properly and thanked Hiroki for his beautiful drawings, reassuring her parents that she's be back home in no time at all.

After their visit was over and Yumi's family left to get something to eat, Jeremie stepped in to ask her a few more questions.

"I heard your little reunion with Ulrich didn't go too well." He stated plainly. "Do you really not remember him, more importantly, do you not remember Lyoko?"

"What the hell are you doing in my room, Belpois?" Yumi hissed. She remembered running into him on the first day of school and pegged him as a computer nerd.

"Just answer the question, Ishiyama." He answered back with the same hostile tone of voice.

"No, I don't remember Ulrich and I don't know what a _Lyoko _is." She hissed, tired of everyone telling her what she was supposed to know. "I'm tired of all you insane people coming into my room. First Odd comes in here thinking he is a cat, then Ulrich shows up wanting to hurt me and now you're here, talking about some imaginary world I'm supposed to know about. Why can't you just all go back to the mental hospital you belong in and leave me alone?"

Jeremie glanced toward the door, where he knew his poor friend was waiting. "Ulrich feels awful, Yumi. You two really did have feelings for each other. It was really...Er, complex at first, but it was meant to be. All you have to do is give him a chance."

"Not until I'm strong enough to beat him up if he tries anything."

Jeremie felt that was going to be the best answer that he would get out of her. He told her that he's tell Ulrich to stay away from her until she was up and on her feet. "I can't promise he'll obey, but I'll tell him it'll help you get better. That just might convince him."

Ulrich was pacing the hallway when Jeremie left Yumi's room. He immediately asked how Yumi was.

"Other than the whole memory loss thing, she seems mostly the same." Jeremie explained. "But she...Still doesn't want to see you though. I'm really sorry."

Ulrich looked like a broken little boy. "She still hates me?"

Jeremie didn't say anything, but his silence only confirmed it.

"We fought, just before Xana attacked." Ulrich confessed, his voice strained. "She was out with William and I was just so jealous. Tension between us had been building all week. We both said some terrible things that seem so stupid now. Jeremie, what if that's why she can't stand the sight of me?"

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "But, whatever you do, you can't lose hope. She may regain the rest of her memories soon, you just have to give her some time." He heart ached for his friend, but he couldn't think of any other way to comfort him. As long as Yumi couldn't remember him, Ulrich would have to endure hell.

* * *

Yumi's health continued to improve, but her memories of Ulrich were still tainted. She began to remember Jeremie and Odd, but nothing of the brown haired boy. When she talked about some of these memories with Odd, she told him that they were a little blurred and Odd said it was because Ulrich should be there too.

"Aeilta, Ulrich, you and I were...What did you call us? Lyoko Warriors?" Yumi clarified. She was sitting up in her bed with Odd in a chair beside her, keeping her company.

"That's right. Jeremie is there too, but he's helping us through the supercomputer rather than actually coming onto Lyoko and fighting. We made a pretty amazing team. We've fought off Xana for a while now thanks to our flawless teamwork."

Yumi frowned. "I can only remember you, some of Jeremie and a pink haired girl. I remember fighting Xana's monsters and the thrill of it all. I remember the time I took out two blocks with a single fan, but...I don't see Ulrich anywhere."

This worried Odd, but he hid his feelings for her sake. "He's not that great of a fighter anyway." He joked, knowing that Ulrich was the best when it came to taking down Xana's monsters. "You're not missing much there."

Her frown vanished and she tried to smile for him. She knew this was hard for him to, but she was just so frustrated. She couldn't get her brain to cooperate with her wishes and she didn't know how to fix it...Or if it was even fixable at this point.

* * *

Ulrich tried to stay away, he really did. Odd and Jeremie reported to him daily on Yumi's progress and she was nearly ready to come back to school.

But it had been too long that he hadn't seen her face and he just couldn't bear to be away from her anymore. He thought if he snuck in while she was sleeping, she wouldn't know he was there and she wouldn't get upset. What he didn't plan on was her waking up.

"What are you doing in here?" Her voice cut through the dark room like a knife.

"Yumi." He didn't know what to say and when he tried to speak, it came out in something that sounded a lot like a different language. "I-I'm sorry, I just really needed to see you again."

"At three in the morning?"

"I didn't think you'd be awake this late."

"Do you even realize how creepy that sounds?"

"I'm sorry." He said again, hanging his head in defeat. "I just didn't want to aggravate you again. I didn't know what else to do."

Some of her anger cooled and she looked at him, _really _looked at him.

His face was illuminated by the pale moonlight that shone through the thin curtains that over the windows. He looked worse than when she had first seen him. There were bags under his eyes and a cloudiness to his vision. It looked like he'd lost a lot of weight.

Yumi didn't understand how this boy was connected to the one in her memory. That boy had fearless dark eyes, obvious muscles and an intimidating air about him. This boy was a walking skeleton.

She sighed. "Sit down."

"Really?"

"Just do it before I kick you out of here."

He obeyed quickly, trying to suppress the hope that was rising in his chest before it choked him up, before he knew she had forgiven him.

After a long moment of silence, she finally asked. "Can you tell me why I feel the way I do about you? Why you make my heart race and blood boil, but my cheeks grow warm? Why I hate when you're in here, but can't get you out of my mind when you're gone?"

He couldn't help the desperate laugh that escaped his lips, not to mention the blush that appeared on his cheeks. "I..Um...I guess you can say I feel the same way about you too." He tried to explain. "We drive each other crazy, but somehow we can't deny that we still have feelings for one another. No matter how much we argue or how many awkward situations we get in, at the end of the day...We still like each other."

"If that's true, why do I feel so much pain around you?" She asked in a small voice, afraid of the answer.

Ulrich held his head in his hands. "It's because I've hurt you in the past. Not physically, but mentally. I've done so many dumb things just to get back at you...To get you to notice me. You've forgiven me too many times, Yumi, and I think your subconscious is finally realizing it. And just before...All this...We fought. I said awful things that I didn't mean, and I'm so, _so _sorry, but that doesn't mean anything to you now, does it?"

"Not to me, but considering what everyone has been telling me, it would've meant the world to the old Yumi. And for that, I am thankful. But, your explaining means a lot to me. This...Must be really hard for you." She finally admitted. She hadn't thought about how much torture she must be forcing him through, if all of this was true. She saw no reason for it to be false.

He scoffed. "This is nothing compared to what you must be going through or what I've put you through in the past. I don't deserve your kindness, I've told you that before. But...I need it so much...I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, it won't change anything."

He laughed again. "You used to say that a lot too."

"Good to know some things haven't changed."

"That's the thing though." He stood up and walked over to the window, his arms wrapped around himself. "You haven't changed at all, aside from where I'm concerned. You're remembering our friends and you knew your family when you woke up. Your personality is the same and once you're up and moving, I'll bet your fighting will be the same too. So, please, stop talking like the Yumi I knew is gone. You're the same person. It's just...Me."

He looked at her again and then returned to his seat in the chair furthest from her bed, afraid to get any closer. They both sat in silence for a long time.

"I don't know what to do." Yumi murmured. "Being around you still makes me tense, but there's also something that I just _can't_ explain. Something that makes me want to understand who you are."

"I'll do whatever you need to get your memory of me back. Just say the word and consider it done."

His eye finally met hers and held them. She could see his resolve burning and felt something inside her crumble. She beckoned him over, holding one of his hands in her own.

"I believe you."

* * *

Yumi's move back home was unremarkable. She had a bunch of visitors the first couple of days, but she only had foggy memories of most of them. The only two that stood out the most were Aelita and Sissi. Aelita came by first and her visit was brief. She said she didn't want to overwhelm her friend, but she was glad to see her. She also wanted to thank her on the behalf of the Lyoko Warriors. Yumi had fought remarkably and should be proud. If it wasn't for her, the mission would've been a failure.

Sissi came by the first afternoon and Yumi didn't remember her much at first, but as the other girl chatted, it came back to her. She remembered that she was irritating and wanted nothing more than to ruin the team dynamic she had with the Lyoko Warriors. Also, she was desperate to date Ulrich, which was something Odd said the first night she had woken up. She started to notice the pattern of bad first impressions in her life. Sissi didn't visit in the hospital because she had been recovering from her own injuries.

"I came as soon as my doctor let me." She said. "How are the memories coming?"

"They're coming, slowly. Except where Ulrich is involved, I can't seem to remember anything about him." She admitted.

"Really?" Sissi looked surprised. "I would think it's be opposite, and he'd be the first thing you remembered when you woke."

"That's what people keep telling me, but that isn't the case. Apparently, he's a big part of my life. No offence, but why are you here anyway? I though we hated each other?" Yumi asked dryly.

"Because you saved my life. If that doesn't make me put aside the hatred I have for your group, I don't know what can. I just wanted to tell you that I spoke to Ulrich about the whole thing. He told me that things were getting better, but he still looked really sad."

Yumi groaned. "I know, I know...I'm breaking the poor boy's heart. You don't have to remind me."

"It's just kinda funny, in a tragic sort of way. You two are finally getting over the fact that you are actually more than just friends and then this happens. Only with you two I guess."

"Tell me. I don't even know how we met."

Sissi complied. "You and Ulrich met while taking a pancake seal lot class."

Yumi stifled a laugh. "You mean Pencak Silat?"

"Whatever, anyway, Ulrich said you were the first person to actually win a sparring match against him. He was really upset at first, but gave you another chance to get his revenge. Then you met Jeremie and Odd and it kinda just snowballed from there. I was crazy about Ulrich when I first met you and when I realized that he was falling for you instead of me, I became jealous. Ever since then, we've been enemies. So eventually, you developed deeper feelings for each other and I've been trying to get between you. You've had your complicated times, but it was clear to everyone including me that you two were meant for each other. I've had the hardest time accepting that."

Yumi took in the new information. "Thanks for telling me, Sissi. And I'm sorry if I did anything stupid that I haven't already apologized for. I'm sure the old Yumi would've liked that."

She laughed. "That covers a lot of things. But, what's passed is passed."

* * *

Yumi had a lot of time to think after Sissi left and though she was supposed to be on bed rest for another couple of days, she decided to venture out of her room for a simple, relaxing walk. More than anything, she wanted to find Ulrich and ask him about their past together.

She stumbled across him in the park, watching the sun set over the trees.

He turned, startled when he heard her approach, but didn't say anything.

"Tell me about our friendship...Or whatever it was we had together." Yumi demanded.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're supposed to be in bed." Ulrich protested weakly.

"I need the exercise anyway, but I'll sit if you talk." She bargained, folding her legs and taking a seat beside him at the base of a tree.

"You want to know about our friendship?" He clarified.

"The others said it was a little more than just a friendship..." His face turned into a look of confusion and a pink blush appeared. "But, I'll settle for stories about our friendship."

"Well." He began slowly, nervously combing his fingers through his hair. "It was easy at first. Both of us shared some skill in Penak Silat and we were quite the professionals if I do say so myself. We'd become such good friends in a short amount of time, it was great. But then...Things started to get a little more complicated. A new kid, William Dunbar, started to take interest in you and I let it get to me. I shouldn't have, though...You had already established that we were just good friends. Ever since you agreed to going out with him, our friendship became rough."

He looked at her, watching her eyes and spoke surely. "But I was determined to make sure our friendship stayed strong. I wanted to be happy for you, because I knew that's what a real friend would do."

Yumi smiled.

"I tried to spend as much time as I could with you, but going to Lyoko interfered a lot, so we'd mostly spend time together here." He motioned to the park and greenery that surrounded them. "This was a popular meeting spot, since it's near the sewer to the factory and the scenery is quite beautiful."

"Is that why you were here tonight? Remembering the good times?"

He smirked sadly. "I suppose so. I just started waling and I kinda ended up here."

Yumi's heart twisted. "I wish I could remember." She murmured softly.

"Me too."

"Thank you for telling me."

"Anything you need, Yumi. Anything you can think of and it's yours."

* * *

It became part of Yumi's routine to meet Ulrich at the park to talk about the past and watch the sun go down. He would tell her about their friendship and she would listen intently, struggling to remember. Her feelings for him were starting to emerge, but she didn't feel she could trust them just yet.

"Tell me about our fight." She finally asked, leaning against one of the benches besides him, needing to know what had happened that was so terrible.

"Are you sure?" Ulrich evaded. "I don't want you relapsing or something."

"Don't worry, I can take it. I reacted that way when I first saw you because I was confused, tired and all I had were these emotions I had no idea what to do with. Come on, tell me. Please."

As he spoke, bits and pieces of memories started stitching themselves together, like a puzzle assembling itself.

"We'd been having these little fights all week You'd been having a lot of long nights and I missed you...I just lashed out."

He could see it all playback in his mind, like a horror movie he was being forced to watch another time. As much as he wished he could go back, there was no way to change it.

* * *

Yumi had come home to see Ulrich waiting by her front gate, sitting on the stairs slumped against the wall. He looked up as he saw her approach and slowly rose to his feet.

"Were you waiting for me?" Yumi asked, puzzled.

"Yeah. We were supposed to meet at the park...But that was four hours ago, so I guess you stood me up."

"You didn't wait for me this entire time did you?" She examined him and his silence seemed to answer her question.

"I was worried something happened to you. You've never been late to anything before."

She closed her eyes. "I'm tired and it's cold. Can't you save me the scolding till tomorrow?"

He raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised by her sharp remark. He was concerned for her and this was the thanks he got? He watched in silence as she removed clips from her hair.

"Well?" She finally said in a tired voice. "Didn't you have something to say."

"Don't use that tone of voice with me."

"What tone of voice? Ulrich, I'm exhausted, can't whatever you have to talk about wait until I've actually had some sleep?"

"No, it can't. Every time I try to talk to you, you seem to not have time or you just bail on me."

"If this about the prom again, I swear I'm gonna-"

"You and William aren't technically dating. And if you really don't want to go with me, just say it straight out. I get it."

"You know I don't like those things, no matter who I go with!"

"Well, I want to change that. Just let me try, please."

"Ulrich, I don't want to deal with all of this right now, it's really late and-"

"I know where you were today. You were out with him-"

"He has a name."

"You were out with William. You could've just told me that you couldn't make it to our meeting, you know. How can you enjoy-?"

"How can I enjoy what? Having fun? Being able to relax with a friend after a long day of risking my life and saving the world even though in the end no one will even remember? Feeling beautiful for once instead as just this warrior that only exists to fight Xana?"

Ulrich swallowed. "Yumi...You know I always think you're beautiful."

"You're my best friend, you're obligated to. I'd beat you up all the time if you didn't." She shrugged, wanting the conversation to be over and turned away from him.

"Hey." He walked over and gently grabbed her arm. She met his eyes again. "You are though."

She sighed and rests her head on her shoulder. "I'm just so tired, Ulrich."

He held her in his arms, wanting the moment in last forever. "I just miss the girl I fell in love- I mean, the girl who became my best friend within a matter of days. You feel so far away from me now."

She tensed. "Wait...Are you trying to end things?" She pushed him away, her eyes wide. "Are you trying to end our friendship?"

"What? No!" He looked at her, horrified. "Of course not, why would you ask that?"

"All we do is fight lately."

"That's what we do best. And we're both under a lot of pressure. Once we shut Xana down, things will be better."

"Maybe...Maybe it's not such a bad idea though." She started to say, pulling away and refusing to look him in the eye.

"No."

"You said it yourself! We're drifting apart. Xana isn't going to give up any time soon. Maybe we should just cool things until this whole war is over. Our complicated feelings for each other seem to make our friendship rough."

He took her hands into his own, squeezing them tightly. "Yumi, don't you dare split us apart, not now...Not after everything we've been through together."

"It might be for the best." She whispered sadly.

Ulrich couldn't believe what he was hearing. After everything he'd sacrificed for their fragile friendship, after meeting her had turned his life upside down, after the many times he had faced danger to keep her safe...This is what she wanted? His temper flared and he shouted before he could even comprehend what was about to escape his lips. "The best thing would have been never meeting you in the first place!"

She stared at him with hurt eyes, shock flashing briefly in them before being replaced with her own anger. "Then maybe you should've picked a better person to fight with you on Lyoko and I never would've had to come and save your behinds!"

He glared at her. She knew the only reason he chose her was because she had been so stubborn, wanting to find out more about Lyoko. "Maybe you should learn how to mind your own business and you wouldn't get yourself into so much trouble!"

"Maybe if you weren't such a narrow minded jerk and decided to actually care about what other people feel, there wouldn't be trouble to get into!"

"That doesn't even make any sense! Do you think I tell Xana to attack us and put the world in danger?"

"I'm calling you a jerk, is that simple enough for you?!"

"Simple enough for me? This coming from the girl who has been ambushed and fallen into Xana's traps how many times? Besides, I've saved you so many times and I don't even get a thank you! You don't know what to do with a problem you can't punch in the face!"

That was a low blow after she'd been attacked just a few days ago, resulting in her family being terrified as they watched Yumi fight off a wave of Xana controlled people. He knew she was still sensitive about it.

She saw red. "At least I face my problems head on instead of moping about them for ages before actually doing something! Remember how long you were brooding over that letter Sissi sent you pretending to be me? I had already told you that our friendship would survive, but all you wanted to do was to be alone and cry about it! Oh, and that one time you were tired of our routine as Lyoko Warriors and all you did was complain and sulk about it!"

"I just needed time to think things over! You can't expect me to have answers to everything!"

"I think you'd be better without me, but maybe everyone and myself would have been better without you!"

He reeled back and stared at her in disbelief for a long, hard moment. "You have changed, Yumi. I don't want to be friends with someone so inconsiderate." He snarled coldly.

She looked down at her clenched fists, biting back angry tears. "You've changed too."

"Maybe you're right."

The fight left her in a flash at the thought of him actually leaving her. But her pride wouldn't let her say anything other than, "Maybe I am."

"Goodbye, Yumi." He turned and left her. Immediately, she ran up to her room, slamming the door shut. She collapsed on her bed, horrified at what she'd said and done, but too ashamed and proud to apologize.

* * *

"The next morning was awful." Ulrich said, picking up the story again and pulling Yumi out of her still reforming memories. "I regretted everything I said, but I was still hurt and you wouldn't even look at me, let alone say a word to me. You didn't talk to me until Xana had launched an attack. Even then it was just 'Jeremie needs us at the factory, now'. I just looked at you and said 'Of course, I'm not going to let you and Odd have all the glory'. You softened up after that, but...We didn't have time for anything else. The next thing I knew, we were at the construction site under attack and you were hurt. And...Well, you know what happened after that."

"Ulrich..." She spoke softly, taking his hand in hers. He tensed at the contact, hope making his heart beat a mile a minute. Had the story helped her remember him? "Thank you for telling me."

"I told you I would do anything for you, even if that meant reliving one of the worst moments in my life" He smiled sadly at her. He pulled his hand back and got to his feet. "I'm supposed to meet Odd in a little bit. I'll see you later." He gave her a small wave.

Yumi suspected her was lying, but let him go anyway. She needed time to herself to think.

* * *

The first think Yumi did when she saw him the next evening was apologize. "I don't remember much, but I remember enough. I shouldn't have said any of those things to you. I was tired and stressed...But that's no excuse. I'll never treat you like that again."

Ulrich chuckled, a bit surprised. "It's fine. It doesn't really matter now, does it?"

"Of course it does!" She insisted. "I...Ulrich, that was terrible of me."

"We were both terrible. Let's just leave it at that, okay?"

"You must really like me, to stay by my side night after night after our friendship had almost fallen apart. And then after I threaten to beat you up...That must've been hard."

"Yumi." He placed his hands on her shoulders and looks deep into her eyes, and she swears she can see straight to his heart. "Whether or not you remember me now or ever again, and whether or not you'll ever like me the way I like you...You will always be part of me. One stupid fight isn't going to change that."

"Still..." She bit her lip, uncomfortable with how personal things were getting. "I-I just want you to know I was sorry."

"Then apology accepted. So...What do you want to hear about today?"

"Tell me a story about the fun we had, just the two of us."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What? With as much passion as we apparently had right there, you have got to have some good stories."

He laughed. "I'll tell you about the time we got our revenge on Odd for pulling a stupid prank on us."

"What were we getting him back for?"

A heated blush burned his cheeks, remembering the time he held her when she got sick. "Um...I'd rather on talk about it."

* * *

The days passed quickly and quietly, much to Yumi's relief. She began training her body for Lyoko again, the familiar movements soothed her. Even if her brain continued to fail her, her body didn't.

Her parents reluctantly let her go back to school, though she was forbidden to join her friends on any of their missions until she had completely recovered. She still had a few bruises and deep cuts that would not heal if she was running off into danger every afternoon.

She was a little restless, but much to her surprise, hearing Ulrich tell her about the two of them every night provided enough adventure and excitement to keep her active spirit at bay. She was starting to understand why she had fallen for him in the first place.

* * *

Yumi woke up in the middle of the night, her heart racing and her body covered in a thin layer of sweat. She swallowed down breaths, her eyes flashing around the dark room, but she could not get herself to settle.

She remembered.

Everything.

She ripped her blanket from her body and raced to the campus, finding her way to Ulrich's room. She tried to be as quiet as she could manage in this state but not really succeeding or caring for that matter. Throwing open the door without bothering to knock, she launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around him, crushing her cheek to his chest.

Jarred back to the world of the waking, Ulrich's first instinct was to attack the person that had latched itself to him, but stopped just in time.

"Yumi?" He whispered tiredly with a hit of confusion.

"Ulrich, I remember. I'm so sorry. I remember you." She mumbled, holding him so tightly he though she might just break his ribs.

But, that was the most welcome pain. He buried his face in her hair and kissed the top of her head, reaching his arms around to hold her. He finally got his Yumi back. He was content to simply hold her as her revelation set in, but he needed to see the truth in her eyes. He needed to see they girl he fell in love with behind those eyes. Gently tilting her face up to his, he found what he was looking for.

"Do you really remember me?"

She nodded, smiling shyly, her eyes searching his. "I woke up and suddenly it all came crashing down. I remember the time we were attacked by that giant teddy bear and we were so close, and the time I got so mad at you for forgetting my birthday. And that time we almost kissed on Lyoko-"

That was enough for Ulrich and he pressed his lips to hers, cutting her off and putting every ounce of passion and gratitude into that kiss that he could. Yumi eagerly met him, never so happy in her life.

Ulrich pulled away and examined her carefully. "You're wearing my old jacket. To sleep in."

Yumi blushed, pulling the hem down, embarrassed. "I didn't know it was yours when I put it on. It just...Comforted me somehow."

"I kept forgetting to get it back from you."

"I hid it." She whispered, a spark in her eyes that he had dearly missed. "So that I'd still have something of you, even when we were frustrated with our friend- relationship."

Comprehension dawned on him. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this day." He smiled, wrapping his arms around her again.

They both laid on their sides, inches from each other, breath mingling, letting the weight of the return of Yumi's memory settle over them.

"I know."

"I missed you so much." Ulrich replied, brushing her hair out of her face ant pulled her closer. "Don't you ever do that to me again."

"I didn't exactly plan on doing it the first time."

Ulrich was about to argue, but bit his tongue. He would let her have the last word this time. That was how much he loved her. Besides, he had learned his lesson about fighting when they were both tired.

He reached around to the back of her neck to bring her forward for another kiss that they both felt down to their soul.

He was done hiding his feeling for her. "I love you."

She smiled at him and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. "I love you too."

"You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that."

"I think I can guess." She motioned to the closeness of their bodies, laughing at the faint blush in his cheeks.

"You'll pay for that." He growled teasingly, tickling her sides.

She yelped. "Shh! Someone's gonna catch us!"

"Do you think I care?"

And then, just like that, they were Ulrich and Yumi again.


End file.
